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A review by katereads2much
The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale
5.0
These books look cute, yes. They're adorable. The covers are pretty and marketable and they come with matching dolls - and you know what? I don't care that these dolls look like Bratz dolls anymore.
Why? Because the books have amazing, important messages that I love. First, Apple and Raven don't agree - Raven believes in freedom of choice and Apple wants nothing so much as she wants to fulfill her destiny and they fight and they argue and Apple doesn't know how to see Raven's side and Raven is struggling with all the arguments but do you know what? They are still friends. They still care about each other and their school and they want to close the rift between people even if they don't know how to do that yet. They're willing to fight without hating each other. And I love that. It seems to me that every time two girls are on the opposite side of an argument or belief they have to hate each other and tear each other down in outright or (perhaps even worse) passive aggressive ways and I despise it. These books don't do that. You might think you're going to hate Apple or hate Raven but the book really doesn't allow you to do either, even if you disagree with one or both of them at any given point.
When their friend ends up in trouble, they have to set aside all their disagreements and bring everyone on both sides together to help make it right. Apple learns to draw on the strength of others and Raven learns that she has strength she didn't know she had. They're both clever and smart and they love their friends fiercely.
This story shows time and again, a girl saving her own day and being the hero for the damsel in distress by being a strong leader and a good friend. It's beautiful.
It shows so much about how people can do the wrong thing when trying to do something good for the right reasons. Further it shows how sometimes doing the right thing for you is important even when other people will call it selfish. It shows how evil is selfish, but selfish isn't always evil. It's important to stand up for yourself and your friends, but that doesn't mean you have to stomp on other people in the process.
I just hope that people can look past the cute, pretty trappings and the little cutesy jokes to the heart of these books.
Why? Because the books have amazing, important messages that I love. First, Apple and Raven don't agree - Raven believes in freedom of choice and Apple wants nothing so much as she wants to fulfill her destiny and they fight and they argue and Apple doesn't know how to see Raven's side and Raven is struggling with all the arguments but do you know what? They are still friends. They still care about each other and their school and they want to close the rift between people even if they don't know how to do that yet. They're willing to fight without hating each other. And I love that. It seems to me that every time two girls are on the opposite side of an argument or belief they have to hate each other and tear each other down in outright or (perhaps even worse) passive aggressive ways and I despise it. These books don't do that. You might think you're going to hate Apple or hate Raven but the book really doesn't allow you to do either, even if you disagree with one or both of them at any given point.
When their friend ends up in trouble, they have to set aside all their disagreements and bring everyone on both sides together to help make it right. Apple learns to draw on the strength of others and Raven learns that she has strength she didn't know she had. They're both clever and smart and they love their friends fiercely.
This story shows time and again, a girl saving her own day and being the hero for the damsel in distress by being a strong leader and a good friend. It's beautiful.
It shows so much about how people can do the wrong thing when trying to do something good for the right reasons. Further it shows how sometimes doing the right thing for you is important even when other people will call it selfish. It shows how evil is selfish, but selfish isn't always evil. It's important to stand up for yourself and your friends, but that doesn't mean you have to stomp on other people in the process.
I just hope that people can look past the cute, pretty trappings and the little cutesy jokes to the heart of these books.